[Hida Gabriel]

I'm creating my next campaign, and it's based heavily on character alignment.

A persons alignment can make, or break a character in this setting, and I'm curious to know if anyone has experience in dealing with a campaign of this nature.

I'm just looking for some general advice on this topic, and in general opinions on running a primarily evil campaign where the forces of good are the antagonists.

Thanks for your time!

Gabriel

[Rintaran]

I've done the evil campaign before, and I likely never will again. It's a completely different type of campaign style, and IMHO not worth the trouble it causes. Players tend to go overboard with their evil characters and party friction becomes the basis of the campaign instead of a minor blip. Unless you're already REALLY experienced at DMing, I would really encourage you to run a few conventional campaigns first. There's a lot to look out for when players are evil and stomping on the forces of light and darkness alike in search of carving out their own place in the world.

However, if you are planning on doing a campaign based solely on alignments (whether the PCs are evil or not), I would highly recommend you define what alignment means in your campaign before you take another step. You may have noticed the little alignment debate which has popped up once or twice in the forums in the past. It's a hot topic and everyone has their own opinion. Generally, this means almost no one follows the guidelines for alignment as set out in the PHB (mainly because they suck IMO). I'll check back and give you more info when I know in what manner you're going to be using alignment.

[dragonhand777]

Sorry, haven't done that yet. I've thought about it several times.

Please, let me know how things go.

I think its a cool idea.

[Doomdreamer]

Evil campaigns, they come to me like Vietnam flashbacks. There are several things that come up with an evil campaign. Such things like, the diffrence between naughty (tying up the paladin's woman to the railroad tracks), and evil ( finding every person the Paladin talks to and killing them, stalking the paladin everynight and making sure the bodies are found, causign people in the area to associate speaking with the paladin a death sentance).

The diffrence is immense. Make sure evil is just not critters in a dungeon that raise zombies and cast naughty annoying spells. Also, you need to have a predeterminned reason why this group is together and why it is better they remain that way. Good reasons are a Drow house of males who are not noble. The PCs work for an Evil Church or an Evil Organization (like the Zentarim) or the PCs have a base of opperations, or the PCs have a major common antagonist ( a holy Monastic order).

As for alignment and how it affects a campaign, I suggest looking through two supplements, Ravenloft (2nd and 3rd ed) and Planescape (2nd ed). You will get an interesting look on Evil and how the Ethical axis (law chaos and neutrality) can affect a PC. I hope this helps. Happy Gamming.

[Hida Gabriel]

I started my campaign last night.

It consisted of several hours of character generation to get everyone set and on the same page.

While we did not get any true role playing in I was able to outline the world setting, and the characters relation in terms of the game.

It went over well, and I think the players are intrigued.

This is the first time I have experimented with this type of campaign, and I didn't want it to just be your typical dungeon-crawl, monster hunt, bug bash.

I was able to forge a common bond amongst the players, and a solid reasoning behind working together.

This isn't a "evil" campaign as much as a finding a "balance" campaign.

Generaly there is a balance between good, and evil in most situations. In the world I have created I have "upset" that balance in favor of good.

While the PC's don't neccisarily have to be of a evil alignment it is important that this balance be restored. That doesn't mean the characters should go out murdering and pillaging to swing the balance.

As the game progresses I will update on any problems i face, or things that go over well. I think it's important to share that info as it has potential to help other Dm's run good campaigns.

Gabriel

[Rintaran]

That sounds like a book I once read. If only I could remember the title... Anyways, in the book, almost all evil creatures have been removed as a result of a major purge and rehabilitation by the forces of light. The few remaining evil being team up to protect themselves from being destroyed. A true neutral druid also joins their cause in order to attempt to help put things back in balance. As the druid explained it, the world works like a rocking bowl with water in it. The bowl is meant to move from side to side. If the world rocks to either side too much, the water spills out. To the side of good, everything phases into the light and that's the end of the world. To the side of evil, everything falls into debauchery and darkness, eventually to the same effect. However, the rocking of the bowl must never be stopped by attrieving true neutrality (ie by putting one's finger in the center of the bowl). If this were to occur, then everything would stagnate and die. That is the importance behind the rocking bowl theory. Anyhow, the druid knows how evil has been kept from the world. Apparently the forces of good stopped up some interplanar gateways. The remaining 'villains' set out to 'save the world' and unstopper these gateways by destroying the artifact that is keeping them closed. In the end they are successful and hordes of evil dragons, pit fiends, etc, pour forth through the gateways resetting the balance. Our unfortunate party was slain in the process, but the chief "villain's" soul had ended up crossing to that evil plane (because evil cannot be destroyed, merely banished) and was among the last to cross back into his world (or so we are led to believe). If anyone knows the title of the book, please post it! I really want to go back and read it again, and I highly recommend it to other. Especially you Hida, since your campaign seems to have elements of it.

[Avantius]

heheh, this "church" seems to be even more evil than the "evil resitance".

Depending on how you're managing you'r campaing, if there's no "linear" objective then you'll have to be very flexible with what the "evil" PC's could do.
You'll need to have in mind that some of the PC's might want to have they'r own base of operations (be it a temple, castle,dungeon,etc), or they would like to explore the world gaining fame (and EVIL followers ), so some improvisation or late add-on maps/areas could be needed.

Also, you should use a house rule where spells like detect alignment/evil dont work/exist, as to make this "evil" harder to find (and hunt); Since there'd be alot of Clerics and Paladins around, going into a "good" town would be plain suicide (even if it was to pass the night, or get some food).


BTW, if you'd like more information on all things EVIL
you should get the "Book of Vile Darkness" (mature audiences only )

[Post Sleeper]

This does sound delicious. You should put it in a campain jurnal, and submitt (when your finished)

So i take it the PCs are not with "the church"?

I really want to hear how this one goes.

[Hida Gabriel]

LOL sounds like you, and me are on the same page.

Already have the Book of Vile Darkness, and have incorperated alot of those ideas into the campaign.

The Church seems evil as a representation of corruption within the system.

I am going to let the players decide the course of action they want to pursue in this campaign. I don't want to dictate too much otherwise I'm playing the game for them, and thats never good.

I have enough of the world created that no matter where they go, or what they do I can incoreperate that into the game. I'm also usually pretty good on my feet at dealing with things as they come.

I have already decided to remove detect spells from the game out of convinience sake. Besides I want the characters actions to do the talking.

I'm always open to ideas, and I'm also open to any advice I can give.

I hope that the players feel I did a good job on creating the world, but only time will tell. This is just a breif synopsis of the big picture. As with any campaign worlds are vast.

Gabriel

[Doomdreamer]

Rintaran that book was so cool, isn't that the one with the really powerful wizard who would enter people's minds and erase the evil part?

BTW, I can't remember the title either.

[Rintaran]

I think that might have been a minor part that showed up near the beginning when one of the main characters was in prison, but I'm not sure.

[Hida Gabriel]

To be honest I'm a little suprised people are interested in the details of the campaign. I'm sure I'm not the first person to create this type of environment. I have a few twists to this world that might intrigue someone.

I will leave the names anonymous incase someone wants to start a game of their own based on this world. (Or at least the structure)

The continent is about the size of Africa, and somewhat oval in shape.

The center of the continent is a tremendous vally of rolling hills. In the center of this vally is the main city where the church holds power. the city sprawls outward into suburbs, and towns that spread apart the further you move from the center. On the rim of the vally as you move away from the city towns become smaller, and eventually the land gives way to sparse hub villages, and farm land. The northern lands rise above the vally, and turn into a mountainous region. The mountains become higher, and unpassable the further in you travel. This is where the newly formed Dwarven kingdom rests underground. There is a miriad of caverns, and tunnels carved into the mountains. Only the dwarves know how deep it goes, and what secrets the mountains hold. To the far south is the Endless forest. The forest spreads across the southern tip of the continent, and covers countless miles to the south. Deep in the forest the Elves, and unwelcome cultures have made their homes. These races, and societies have learned to live together, and set aside differences in the wake of the church's hold on the land. Deeper still the Drow have taken over the darkest parts of the forest. They shun outsiders, and most who wander too far into the woods don't return. To the east is a great desert. It's mostly uninhabited except for the nomadic barbarians that have adapted to the harsh elemental conditions. The southern edge of the desert has come to be known as The Blight. During the war when the great evil was destroyed by the army of good the evil cursed the land where it fell. The land turned black and all living things died. The land could not be restored by the church, and still remains a wasteland of pure evil. Anyone foolish enough to wander into The Blight is corrupted from the soul outward, and is overcome by evil. They lose their minds to a blind hatred, and become soulless creates of pure evil. fun, fun. The church has amassed a army outside of the Blight to keep others out, and to protect the land from the evil within. To the west is a great ocean. Travel is very restricted, and controlled by the church. To most it is a mystery what lies beyond. Rumors of other lands with exotic people, and mysterious creatures lie across the ocean.

BLAH!!!

Ok so this is a general overview of the land for those who care.

Gabriel

[Avantius]

An important note:

¿How are you managing gods within this campaing?

Im pretty sure the evil gods wont be very happy with whats happenning down in the mortal world, and perhaps they are eager to help out the "evil" PC's in subtle (or maybe not so subtle) ways.

Also, whats the point of view of the "good" gods in terms of this "church" (or whathever its called ), are they proud of their achievements, or do they think its purpose has been corrupted?.

Another note:
Are demons/devils going to let this just happen? all their "cattle" in the material plane being slaugtered?
Demons and especially Devils should wander the land (more frequently than not) seeking to corrupt the....eh....corrupted "good" people so they are corrupted "bad" people .

On the other side of the table, the "church" must have several powerfull leaders I assume (or how did they vanquish most of the evil from the lands?), between the goals of the PC's could be either the assasination or domination of these leaders (perhaphs making them join the ranks of evil).
hmm.....I guess the PC's would have to be epic characters to even try confronting the leaders.

I've talked too much, time to shut up.

[Hida Gabriel]

It's not talking too much at all.

This is all stuff I have worked out in my own campaign.

As the game has not had a chance to progress very far yet.

(We just started) alot of these questions are yet to be answered.

Characters will more than likley have to build up to epic levels to confront the church directly. Time will have to tell what's going to happen.

Gabriel

[Post Sleeper]

I have the strangest urge to hark on someone for lack of style.

I guess I'll have to look elsewhere. Wow. Good work.